Ravi Derossi has Soda Club in the works for Avenue B

Ravi Derossi has plans for a new eating-drinking spot on Avenue B called Soda Club, a pasta and natural wine bar.

The East Village-based restaurateur is on tonight's CB3-SLA committee docket for a new beer-wine license (questionnaire here) for 155 Avenue B between Ninth Street and 10th Street.

Via email, Derossi said, if approved, Soda Club will feature "five to seven fresh pastas made daily in house and over 100 natural and inexpensive wines."

Derossi's other East Village establishments include Night Music, Ladybird, Avant Garden, Honeybee, Mother of Pearl and Amor y Amargo.

The previous tenant at No. 155, Donostia, the wine-and-tapas bar, quietly closed in November 2018 after five years in business.

Tonight's CB3 committee meeting begins at 6:30 in the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Michael Jackson mural defaced on 11th Street

The mural showing two images of Michael Jackson was recently defaced on 11th Street at First Avenue.

Someone wrote "King Pedo" on the King of Pop mural ...





Earlier this year, HBO's two-part documentary, "Leaving Neverland," featured two former child performers describing how Michael Jackson allegedly sexually abused them while they were children.

Back in March, Eduardo Kobra, the prolific Brazilian artist who created the two Michaels mural in July 2018, said that he had no plans to remove the work in light of the new allegations of pedophilia.

Before and even after his death in 2009, Jackson was the subject of multiple sexual abuse accusations and police investigations as well as civil and criminal lawsuits. His estate continues to deny all allegations.

An EVG reader who spotted the "King Pedo" message was surprised that the mural hadn't been defaced before.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: No plans to remove the Michael Jackson mural from the wall on 11th Street

On the wall: Mural of Michael Jackson, as a child and an adult, in progress on 11th Street

Ama Raw Bar debuts tonight on Avenue B

Ama Raw Bar opens this evening at 190 Avenue B between 11th Street and 12th Street.

Ama's website describes the place as "an affordable seafood restaurant with a unique asian raw bar."

CB3 OK'd a liquor license for the space back in July.

According to Ama's Instagram account, they will have a lounge area called the Kiki Room...

View this post on Instagram

Our Kiki Room 🔥 who’s ready to Lounge, drink, and have a Kiki? #eastvillage #restaurant #newyork #eater #cocktails

A post shared by Amarawbar (@amarawbar) on Nov 25, 2019 at 2:31pm PST

The previous tenant here, Kingsley, closed in late summer 2018 without any notice to patrons after three-plus years in business. Back 40 was also here for seven years.

Red Gate Bakery shapes up on 1st Street

Awning alert over at 68 E. First St., where Red Gate Bakery is expected to open soon here between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (As you can see, Red Gate also has a red roll down gate.)

The Red Gate website notes that they sell "small-batch, high-quality, no-frills baked goods." Their menu features a variety of cookies, brownies, cakes and a midnight banana bread. You can see some of these items on the Red Gate Instagram account.

This is the first storefront for the proprietors, who have been taking online orders for a variety of events and special occasions.

No. 68 was previously home to the Tuck Shop, which closed in September 2018 after 13 years of selling Australian meat and vegetable pies.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Red Gate Bakery setting up shop at 68 E. 1st St.

Sunday's parting shots

The grand finale at today's 28th annual Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting ceremony... Steven shared these photos...



We'll have more later tomorrow via EVG contributor Stacie Joy...

The Anti-Monkey Christ

Christopher J. Ryan shared these photos from yesterday... showing local artist Ian Dave Knife transforming a tree stump into "a beautiful work of street art" here on 11th Street just east of First Avenue.

The stump is titled "The Anti-Monkey Christ" ...

Week in Grieview

[Art walk on 2nd Avenue via Derek Berg]

Posts this past week included...

Debi the Gardener retires (Friday)

Closing time for the Associated on 14th Street (Wednesday)

Prepping for the 28th edition of the Tompkins Square Park tree lighting (Saturday)

In the kitchen with Chef Jae Lee at Nowon (Friday)

Three Seat Espresso down to weekend service on Avenue A (Saturday)

Former Bean space for rent on 2nd Avenue (Thursday)

Huminska closes on 9th Street after 27 years in business (Monday)

Long lost photos of the Dead Boys live on at 72 Gallery (Saturday)

Garbage trucks will still park on 10th Street so drivers can have lunch breaks (Tuesday)

Tramonti Pizza closes on St. Mark's Place ahead of move to NoMad (Tuesday)

Report: 2 homeless men stabbed in fight at the 2nd Avenue F stop (Thursday)

All about the housing lottery at EVE on 13th Street (Monday)


[Friday morning in Tompkins via Vinny & O]

Happy holidays from NY See! (Thursday)

What's going on at Black Iron Burger on 5th Street? (Monday)

Cereal killer: Kellogg's NYC Café shutters on Union Square` (Friday)

Hot Kitchen pivots to Sushi & Sake on 2nd Avenue (Tuesday)

Signage and storefront reveal for Sanpoutei Gyoza & Ramen at 92 2nd Ave. (Thursday)

The San Loco is opening SOON on Avenue C (Monday)

169 and 171 1st Ave. fetch $14 million (Wednesday)

United Copy & Print has apparently closed (Wednesday)

Williamsburg Pizza debuts on 14th Street (Thursday)

... not sure what this film shoot was for this past week, but we knew where they kept the bodies...


[Photo by Derek Berg]

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Reader question: What is that black smoke coming from Village View?

Via the EVG inbox...

What is the black smoke pouring out of the chimney on the Village View apartment complex on First Avenue? No other building in the neighborhood (with many oil burners) is sending out as much. Hmmm — burning trash on a Sunday morning?

The reader thought that burning trash in buildings was a thing of the past. Unless this is something else entirely.

Video: The origins of the Tompkins Square Park holiday tree lighting

As a warmup to today's 28th annual tree lighting in Tompkins Square Park (4-5 p.m.!) ... here's a video short from 2018 with Albert Fabozzi, founder of the lighting ceremony...





Fabozzi planted the evergreen in 1992 in memory of Glenn Barnett, his partner, who died of AIDS ...

Saturday's parting shot

Aerial view from Avenue A and Sixth Street this morning...

Prepping for the 28th edition of the Tompkins Square Park tree lighting

Workers are prepping the holiday tree in Tompkins Square Park this afternoon ahead of tomorrow's lighting ceremony (thanks to Steven for the photos!) ...



As a reminder...



The 28th edition of the Tompkins Square Park tree lighting happens tomorrow (Dec. 8) from 4-5 p.m. The Carolers of Olde New York from Theater for the New City will be, uh, caroling... music comes via the Mandel & Lydon Trio ... and refreshments are courtesy of Veselka and C&B Cafe.

Long lost photos of the Dead Boys live on at 72 Gallery

A new exhibit titled "Dead Boys 1977: The Lost Photographs of Dave Treat" debuts tonight (Saturday!) at the The Great Frog, 72 Orchard St. between Broome and Grand.

The opening reception is from 6-9. After tonight, you can check out the exhibit from noon to 8 p.m Tuesday-Sunday through Jan. 30.

Here's the background on the exhibit via the 72 Gallery Instagram account...

72 Gallery is delighted to announce "Dead Boys 1977: The Lost Photographs of Dave Treat." This solo exhibition by Cleveland native Dave Treat chronicles the early days of the Dead Boys who were to become one of punks most nihilistic and furious bands.

Treat was asked to shoot the fledgling Dead Boys’ first ever promo shot, which yielded a now-legendary alley photo taken in the ruins of ‘70s Downtown Cleveland, which was re-created by Glenn Brown in the same location for the cover of the band’s classic Sire Records debut “Young Loud and Snotty.”

While documenting the band, Treat accidentally crafted a stunning series of portraits of the then-bankrupted city, at a time when nobody — except the advance guard of punk — saw Downtown Cleveland’s decay as a fit subject for photography.

Treat eventually entered the construction trades and raised a family in Solon, Ohio, and discovered his long-lost negatives of the Bators portraits and the band photos almost 40 years later, while cleaning out a closet.

The folks behind The Great Frog created the gallery space in their rock 'n' roll ring shop and boutique. The Dead Boys exhibit is being held in association with the Cast across the street.

And to get you in the mood...